Fun in Athens

Considering how much time we spent in Greece (six weeks!) this summer, it would be hard to pinpoint just one set of Athens-based photos to give a true image of who we were with and what we did with them. As usual, our time in Athens was a constant flow of people coming and going. We are sure that Stelio and Vasil (and their families) see our arrival and stay as nothing less than a continuous barrage of movement. In fact, that would be an apt description. Our early days in Athens included the pre-Pappou and Moca and pre-Aleko time. It was "down time" to a certain extent as we worked on fixing up the apartment, going shopping, doing paperwork and maximizing time with friends before we headed out to an island. 

The pictures above are only a small glimpse of things we did around home base before our island jaunt. Hanging out. Playing. Sipping on frape. Chatting with friends. Home time. We love spending time with every one of you~ thank you for putting up with us!

Glimpses of Italy

We write now from Malaysia, where we are about to embark on year 12. Wow!  But in the flash that was summer and the hundreds of pictures that we are now sifting through, there are memories that seem like a long time ago, and yet were just a month or so. Was it really just that?  Did we really do so much?  Were we really surrounded by such wonderful people on such a regular basis?  The answer is a loud and unequivocal "Yes!". Now comes the rush to share it all with the world before our work takes over and our time is squeezed yet again. Take a deep breath. Here we go.

Back in late June we took a week to visit Adri and Luca. Our stay in Milano was a relaxed one with lots of roaming the town and walking around a neighborhood (construction and all) that highlighted the contrast between the old (like the building they live in) and the new (like the three buildings around the block that are as futuristic as could be). The visit also took us on a three day - two night visit to Tuscany, and specifically to Siena, to visit the namesake of Amalia's middle name. 

Tuscany was beautiful, as we expected. Milan was too. Italy brought with it a "down to Earth" sophistication that was a nice change from what we're used to. It was a contrast to Greece's more rough approach to being and was opposed to Malaysia's futuristic approach to development. What do we take with us? Rolling hills in Tuscany. Lots of people walking dogs (and allowing us to pet them). Slow moving city life. Family everything. Laughter. Things of essence.

Amalia's Message to Daddy

This video was recorded the day after Amalia, running down an incline at our hotel in Skopelos, stumbled and banged her her forehead onto the ground. Daddy was gone that day in Athens to show some friends around Athens and would return two days later. In an effort to make sure that everything was okay, mommy took this video, which subsequently sat on the desktop for several years until the formatting would work for this blog. [This video, though taken in June 2013, was posted on Jan. 2, 2019]

One of daddy's favorites, we're delighted to add it to this blog for memories sake. Love through the years only grows stronger. We love you little (growing) girl!

Water & Sun

Then there was the beach... ahh the beach. It's always great to return to that, to the calm movement of cool water and the endless invitation to look outward, to the horizon, where the blue sea meets a cloudless blue sky. The beach was shallow, as we like it, and the girls were happy in the water despite early statements that they would not go into the water because they didn't want to wash their hair later on. 

But the sea does that. It invites you in with the sparkles and the fish. One thing leads to another - perhaps it's wanting to put water in that pail - and you get your feet wet. Then you realize that the wetness isn't so bad and, once your toes get accustomed to the temperature it's actually quite lovely. Next it's the leg, perhaps only up to the knee. Then it's watching the small fish surrounding your toes as your feet fluff up the sand. Then it's wanting to go out just a bit further. Finally, it's the pure delight in the splashing and the playing. By then the sea has overcome your desire for non-showers and keeping hair dry. You squeal in delight and laugh as you splash each other. Summer has arrived for real.

Playgrounds, Coffee Shops & Gardens

The flights to Greece were rather uneventful, thankfully. The arrival perfect and the first day quite lovely. Meeting up with Stelio, Maria, Mikaela and Anastasia as well as Vasil, Sofia and Stamatina was a great first day and a deliberately action-packed way to stay awake.  The afternoon at Varsos was the perfect welcome to Greece and the added bonus of a slide in the playground just around the corner from the closed shopping center (it was Sunday, after all) allowed the little ones a chance to yell and scream to their heart's content.

The rest of the week was a combination of visits with friends (including Ralph, Anne and Maria who flew in from the UAE) and daddy running to the various utility companies for multiple visits to make sure that paperwork was completed for such important things. Days for him were of mixed results, but the highlights remained the same... being in Greece (which is remarkably cool for this time of year), walking around, and seeing friends. 

The week also included the customary slow re-introduction of our girls to the neighborhood, with the children from our building and the next playing in the lawn downstairs. Slowly, we hope, they will get used to Greek and learn to communicate using basic words, even if a little.  This community link is just as important as the one of our friends whose children happily share ages with our own. What a wonderful beginning to a warm and wonderful summer!